Laser Keypad

1. Digital Display - This area will show the current status of the laser.

2. Power indicator light - This will light green when there is power to the laser.

3. Door open indicator - This light will illuminate when one or more of the three doors are open or not secured properly.

4. Fast - While jogging the motion system or moving the table, press and hold this button to move the axis faster.  

5. Up, down, left and right arrows - Use these arrows to scroll through the keypad menu options and to make value changes in the various menus (to be explained)

6. Table up/down - Use these keys to move the engraving table up and down.

7. Mode - This key will connect to Jobserver (if applicable).

8. Pause indicator light - This light will illuminate amber when the current job is paused, or if one or more of the three doors are open.  

9. Job ready indicator light - This light will flash red when a job is ready to start.  This light will illuminate red when one or more of the three doors are open.

10. Start - Pressing this button will start a job sent to the laser.  This will also recall the last job sent to the laser as well.  (to be covered)

11. Pause - Pressing this button during a job will pause the motion system and send the laser to the home position.  This light will also illuminate amber when one of the three doors are open.

12. Enter - Press the enter key to access the menu options.  (the laser must be in “ready” state in able to do this).

13. Cancel - Press this key to cancel the current job at the laser (only after pause has been pressed) Or to back out of a menu option.

Operational Mode/Programming Mode

Operational Mode

When the laser is on and "Ready" is displayed on the keypad, the laser is in “operational” mode.  In this mode, you can start, stop, and pause the operation of the laser.  Any changes that need to be made to the laser settings need to be done when the laser is in "programming" mode.  

Programming Mode

To put the laser in programming mode, press "ENTER" on the keypad.  Once in programing mode, the keypad will display numerous menu choices as shown below.  With these menu choices come two basic forms of selections:

1. Confirmed Action - Confirmed Action menu choices are distinguishable by two periods ".." following the menu name.  These types of actions require additional feedback from the user before the action can be carried out.  

2. Immediate Action - Immediate action menu choices will execute as soon as they are selected.  There is no confirmation or chance to cancel once selected.  These types of menu choices are displayed by their name only without the two periods.

Menu Overview

While the laser is on and in operational mode, pressing "ENTER" on the keypad will access the menu options.  Use the left, right, up and down arrows to maneuver through the menu options.  Pressing "CANCEL" while in a menu will revert to the previous menu.  

• Rates - This option give the user the ability to change power and speed settings “on the fly”.  

• Contrast - This option allows the user to change the contrast and brightness of a job “on the fly”.

• SetHome - With this option, a temporary home position can be set other than in the upper left hand corner of the table.  

• ClrHome - A previously set home position can be cleared by simply selecting ClrHome.

• Lights - This menu option, when selected, will allow the light to be turned on or off.

• Pointer - This menu option, when selected, will allow the pointer to be turned on or off.

• Table - Selecting this option will produce three menu choices

• Home - This will automatically move the table to the "0" position.

• Zero - This will set the table position to "0"

• ZPos - This will temporarily disable the limits of the table for positioning purposes.

• Home - Selecting this option will move the engraving table to the upmost limit switch.

• Zero - Selecting this option will set the current table position to zero

• Service - The service menu produces two choices.

• Beam alignment - This option will put the laser into beam alignment mode.

• Set X Y offsets - This option will set new permanent X Y offsets for the laser.

• HPGLSetup - With this option, designs can be directly brought in from Auto Cad.  This option works for vectoring only.

• Defaults - The defaults menu produces two choices - saving the defaults or restoring the defaults.

• Save - Selecting this option will save the current settings as the default settings for the laser.

• Restore - Selecting this option will restore the defaults to the factory settings.  

• Units - This option will change the unit of measurement in the laser keypad.  For example, changing from inches to metric will make the laser count all movements from the motion system and elevator in metric.

• Blower delay - This menu item will allow the user to select the amount of time (in seconds) that the blower will remain on after a job is finished.  Use the up/down arrows to increase/decrease the number of seconds.

• AirAssist - This menu selection only applies if the laser is equipped with the air assist option.  

• Job time - This will give the time of the last job ran on the laser.  The output is in minutes and seconds.

• Dual Head - This menu selection only applies if the laser is a dual head machine.